


Anything is Possible

by NerdGirl07



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Diana is the captain of this ship, Diana talks some sense into gilbert, F/M, I was disappointed in the story club scene so I decided to improve it, Shirbert, aftermath of 3.09, shirbert is endgame, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 13:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21495208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdGirl07/pseuds/NerdGirl07
Summary: “This was Anne’s place.” Diana said, smiling wistfully as she ran her hand over the story club sign.‘Of course this was Anne’s place’ Gilbert thought ‘it was so magical, so ethereal, it fairly screamed Anne.’
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 127





	Anything is Possible

**Author's Note:**

> I was honestly disappointed in the story club scene in 3.09 so I decided to rewrite it. I’ve also thought that Diana would be the one to talk some sense into both Anne and Gilbert so here it is. I hope you like it!

Gilbert walked through the forest, his mind still grappling with his heart. His head told him that Winnie was the right choice. She was beautiful, lovely, a good conversationalist. Marriage to Winnie came with a life of ease, a good wife, a chance to go to the college of his dreams and live out his life with the career of a successful doctor. Winnie was the safe choice, the logical choice. The choice that made sense. His brain told him to choose Winnie. But his heart couldn’t seem to get with the program. All his heart could do was cry out for Anne. He saw her in everything, he saw her dancing as Diana played ‘The Dashing Red Sergeant’, just as he saw her in everything outside, from the flowers to the birds flying through the brush. But Anne wasn’t his to love. Her absolute disgust and disbelief of his love confession at the bonfire had made him sure of that.

Suddenly, he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. Standing up and brushing off his pants he noticed that he’d tripped over a small pile of boards. Glancing around himself he noticed the true tranquility of the small place he’d quite literally stumbled across. It was eerie almost, the stillness. Not a leaf rustled, not a bird chirped, not a fly buzzed.

Turning slowly his eyes landed on a sign. The only thing left standing of the little building. ‘

_The Avonlea Story Club_’ he whispered reverently, running his fingers over the sign. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Crouching down he freed a seashell from the wreckage. It was perfect, pale and complex, yet perfectly simple and natural. His mind once again jumped to Anne. How hopelessly in love was he that a seashell reminded him of her?

“This was Anne’s place.” Said a voice from behind him. Gilbert whipped around to see Diana Barry smiling wistfully at the wreckage of the little shack.

Of course this was Anne’s place. This whole part of the woods was magical, ethereal. It fairly _screamed_ Anne.

“Well, Anne’s...and Cole’s, and Ruby’s, and mine too, I suppose.” Diana continued, “But really it was Anne’s. The rest of us were just fortunate she shared it with us. The Avonlea story club is what she called it and the four of us spent hours here writing the most ridiculous stories. Filled with princesses, and castles, brave, dashing heroes, and breathtaking heroines, tragedy, romance, mysteries, and murder. The most dramatic things you could ever think of! They were absolutely awful, with so many plot twists and plot holes I nearly cry laughing when I read them now. But they were our best work at the time. This place was our sanctuary, for a very long time.”

“Billy ruined it of course.” Diana continued, her tone turning bitter. “Like he ruins everything. We were...devastated. It’s part of the reason why Cole attacked Billy did you know? But Anne was the most upset out of all of us. She always talked of rebuilding, but it never happened. I’m not sure why.”

Diana looked up at him, meeting Gilbert’s eyes for the first time.

“Anne never walks by here anymore if she can help it. I understand why. It holds too many ghosts for her to want to remember them all the time. The tragic ending of the story club and the tale surrounding it's demise is something Anne would much rather forget. Cole left Avonlea just days after the clubhouse was wrecked. It was then that Miss. Stacy was almost sacked, and around the time when Matthew got sick. I think when this place was torn down that Anne thought that it's spirit, of life, of light, of hope, was torn down as well. I think Anne now sees it as bad luck.”

“However,” Diana mused, breaking her eye contact and strolling about the mess of boards, lightly running her hand over the story club’s sign, the only thing left standing, “I don’t see it that way. For me, the destruction of the story club marked the end of an era. The time of the story club was a time of many wonderful things for me. It marked the beginning of my friendship with Anne. It was where we first became friends with Cole. It was the time when I first became confident, and I first became more accepting of the world. It’s where I first started to realize that I didn’t want to follow exactly the path my parents laid out for me. The time of the story club was the time I was a happy child, carefree and innocent, only just beginning to understand that the world isn’t black and white. The story club ending was symbolic of my childhood ending. I started growing up quite quickly after that. And here we are.” She sighed.

“But unlike Anne I don’t see this place as bad luck. For me it’s a reminder. It reminds me of a time when everything was so much less confusing. It reminds me that no matter how much bad there is in the world there’s even more good. Most of all it reminds me that _anything_ is possible if you have the strength, the passion, the tenacity, and most of all, the love, to make it happen.”

“Anything is possible Gilbert.” The dark haired girl said, turning back to him once more, with a mischievous smile on her face. “I highly suggest you profess your love to Anne once more before you make a huge mistake by proposing to Miss. Rose from Charlottetown. After all, anyone can see you only have eyes for Anne. And believe it or not she’s managed to fall for someone as clueless as you. Which you would know if you had made a clear love confession when Anne was sober; Instead of cryptic mixed messages when Anne was so drunk she was nearly stumbling. Ask her again Gilbert now that you’re both in your right mind. I think everything will work out. Have faith.”

And with that Diana turned on her heel with one last wave and teasing grin, leaving a completely gobsmacked, speechless Gilbert Blythe staring after her.

_Ask her again… _

_She’s managed to fall for someone as clueless as you… _

_Have faith. _

_Now you’re both sober… _

_Anything is possible. _

Clutching the small seashell tightly in his hand Gilbert turned back towards Avonlea, more specifically the Cuthberts farm. He had to have a very important conversation with a certain redhead he couldn’t stop thinking about. There was a wonderful future he could see before him, filled with flaming hair, passionate arguments, and grey eyed babies, and most of all a lot of time with Anne Shirley Cuthbert.

After all, anything was possible.


End file.
